Yay For Me

H

hollowdweller

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Sep 22, 2003
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Lewisburg Mayor John Manchester on Monday had a bird's-eye view of President Obama signing into law a bill granting wilderness protection to more than 2 million acres of land, including 37,771 acres in the Monongahela National Forest.

"For some reason, they stuck me in the second row," Manchester said after the signing. "It was a wonderful ceremony, and I got to shake the president's hand and meet a lot of the congressional leaders."

(snip)

"As Americans, we possess few blessings greater than the vast and varied landscapes that stretch the breadth of our continent," Obama said. The new law, he added, guarantees that Americans "will not take our forests, rivers, oceans, national parks, monuments and wilderness areas for granted, but rather we will set them aside and guard their sanctity for everyone to share. That's something all Americans can support."

In West Virginia, the Wild Monongahela Act, which was a component of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, creates three new wilderness areas in the Monongahela National Forest, and adds acreage to three existing wilderness areas.

The new areas are the 6,280-acre Roaring Plains West Wilderness, which abuts the existing Dolly Sods Wilderness east of Canaan Valley; the 7,142-acre Spice Run Wilderness on the east slope of the Greenbrier River Valley near the Greenbrier-Pocahontas County boundary; and the 5,242-acre Big Draft Wilderness along Anthony Creek at the extreme south end of the Monongahela near Lewisburg.

The act also added 7,215 acres to the north end of the Dolly Sods Wilderness; 12,032 acres between the Williams and Cranberry rivers in the Cranberry Wilderness; and 740 acres near the Dry Fork River to the Otter Creek Wilderness.

Manchester was among wilderness supporters who testified before Rahall's committee last year.

"I spoke on the value of wilderness to my community," he said. "There are a lot of tourists who love to explore wild places, and as soon as these new wilderness areas are on the map, we'll have another arrow in our quiver for our marketing campaign. I expect the new wilderness areas will give the state a significant bump in its tourism base."
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http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200903300707

BIG DRAFT area:
bigdraft3.jpg

bigdraft2.jpg


Roaring Plains
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20061010image0029fb3.jpg
 
Is that where Lionshead rock is?
 
When i read that bill i felt same like you did. HD but knowing how much you love that area and that is now protected as well i feel even more happy for you as well. Now you need to go backpacking to celebrate. Rock on bud

Sasha
 
That is great for all of us.
Fantastic picts HD.
Any chance that you will lead a hike in that area this year?
I would love to see all that beauty up close.
 
Oh that's awesome man! Congrats, for everyone really. I thought I remembered you saying this was already 'lost to big brother' though?
 
Fiddleback said:
Is that where Lionshead rock is?
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Close. But where the Lions Head is it is already wilderness. This is a few miles below where the Lions Head is.

hike10mm3.jpg


If you look at this map(sorry for the big size) The Lions Head is where the sharp turn around the point/cliffs are on Rocky Point Trail.

Look to the south and you will see a black road with the Boars Nest and Roaring Plains Trails to the South of it.
That is where it is in relation to The Lions Head>

dollysodsallarea.jpg
 
Sharp Eye said:
That is great for all of us.
Fantastic picts HD.
Any chance that you will lead a hike in that area this year?
I would love to see all that beauty up close.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure going up there in Sept. (Dolly Sods) Maybe hike Roaring Plains in Oct. There are a lot of rattlesnakes there and it's semi bushwhack so I like to hike it when it's a little colder:o
 
Cool HD! We have been wanting to get out there. Kathy has another knee surgery next month,:( so it may not happen this summer- but it definitely needs to happen sometime, and SOON! :thumbup:
 
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